Right Kind Of Guy
by psych0ticangel
Summary: COMPLETELY REVAMPED. Love moves in the most unexpected ways. Life bites when you're caught off guard. Two worlds completely different, two lives separated, what becomes of them? MIMATO.
1. I

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon! This is all a product of my imagination and creativity. Excuse me for sharing my talent. Some names, places and such are made-up. Except for the original characters of the Anime and some city names.**

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 1: A Great Start**

Right on time. Matt Ishida thought as he entered the steel doors of Long Beach International High. The bell just rung for first period as he entered the school. He walked calmly towards his locker and leaned on it. He looked at his watch. Approximately seven hours and 3 minutes 'til school's over. He sighed. It was a Friday—fly day. He has a meeting with the guys tonight at eight to shoot some hoops. He can't wait to get on the court.

He opened his locker and searched for his stuff, he better hurry or he'll be late. He can't stand to read another limerick in O'Connell's class again. He took out his green leather notebook and stuffed it inside his bag. After zipping his backpack, he ran through the nearly empty hallway and screeched his shoes as he got the O'Connell's door. He straightened himself and went to his usual seat—right in front of Mimi Tachikawa.

Now, Mimi Tachikawa was not the usual "ordinary" schoolgirls who waved pom-poms and talked about gossip. She was half nerd and half cheerleader. For the past three years of high school, she'd been the valedictorian, cheerleading captain, and last year, **the**prom queen. She was everything a guy could ever want. Smart, funny, attractive, and outgoing. What bothers Matt is that she's never had a boyfriend since grade school. With her charm and brain, how could nobody want her?

Maybe she did have a boyfriend but was smart enough to keep it a secret. Matt thought. He pushed the thought aside as Mr. O'Connell stepped in the room. Matt sighed. He prepared himself for yet another boring class of Literature. He never understood how people could love poems so much. They were all mushy and girly. Besides, literature never made any sense. Like the fact why authors used the word hath instead of has. Was it because of a tongue problem, or what? Nevertheless, Matt had to put up with it. Not because he was concerned with his grades, but because Mimi always seemed to be on cloud-9 every time she heard a romantic poem.

Ever since that day when O'Connell discussed about Romeo and Juliet, Mimi's been very attentive to his class. During the part when Juliet stabbed herself because of Romeo's death, Matt was sure he saw a tear escape Mimi's eyes. He smiled at the thought of that day. She looked so cute when she was touched. From that day on, Matt paid more attention to the class, hoping that it'd give him help with making a good impression.

"Mr. Ishida." O'Connell called. "You seem to be in a good mood today, good. Very good. I do hope that reading a poem wouldn't ruin your day?" He asked with a snicker as he motioned his thick brown literature book to Matt. Matt groaned. The old guy always seemed to love seeing him in a foul mood. He stood up and smiled wryly at O'Connell. He despised that man, with the balding-grayish hair and yellow uneven teeth. He was a monster, not to mention a freak.

He approached O'Connell's table and grabbed the book. He gazed at the title of the poem he had to read. _Say Not The Struggle Nought Availeth_. He groaned. Great, another of those –th poems. How much of a dunce could he look? Mr. O'Connell cleared his throat, which meant it was time for Matt to read it. He took one deep breath and started to read.

Matt finished the three-phrase poem smoothly; stopping once a while to properly pronounce a word. Slow, but well. He commented to himself. He was giving him a pat on the shoulder when he heard O'Connell laugh.

"You call that reading, boy?" He asked sarcastically. "I wonder if Japan was a good place to start education." The old man stated. That last statement cut into Matt like a knife. Just because he was from a completely different race, didn't mean he was stupid and uneducated. Sure, Japanese folk are hard to understand, but Americans are too. Matt wanted so much to jump on top of the aged man and cobble him into pieces. O'Connell looked at him sternly.

"Can you tell me, Ishida, what you understood from the poem?" He asked, malice glowing through his eyes. Matt grunted deeply, he could feel rage run through his body. If only he didn't need literature's help that much, he would've killed the man right then and there. Matt took a deep breath. "I-I think it's about a—availing ahem struggle…" he stammered.

Mr. O'Connell laughed really hard, and the whole class followed. Matt could feel his face burn, as it turned into a deep crimson. He observed the whole room and noticed that Mimi was looking at him disgusted. He gulped. Great, now Mimi is sure to hate him forever. O'Connell pat his shoulder. "That's okay son, I know how Japanese are poor in English literature."

Matt's face burned even more, his hands were balled into fists. He was so near the old guy that it gave a perfect angle to punch him. He was about to do so when Mimi stood up abruptly. "I think I can help him, sir." She said cheerfully. Now, Matt was really embarrassed. He didn't like the thought of being helped by a girl. Especially if that girl was named Mimi Tachikawa.

Mr. O'Connell let go of Matt's shoulder and crossed his arms. "Very well, Tachikawa, entertain me." He grinned looking like a maniac. Mimi cleared her throat and faced the entire class. "The poem by Arthur Clough, gives out a message to all those who are in the midst of trouble and problems." Mimi started. "It says that all the struggle and the problems we face are nothing more than bugs that gives reason to life itself. You see, without the problems we face everyday, life won't be that colorful. I mean, how could we live our life to the fullest if we don't even pass problems that teach us how to be ourselves and to help us find the inner self in us." The whole class cheered after Mimi finished. She smiled and sat back down.

Matt noticed that O'Connell was frowning. He smirked. The guy always wanted his student to suffer; he fed from their anger and their helplessness. Maybe now, he knows that his class is capable of more things than he ever expected. He frowned at the whole class and at Mimi. "Good. But needs more improvement in speech." Matt was about to lunge at O'Connell when the school bell rang for second period.

O'Connell wrote something on the board and said something about a long test. Matt didn't even bother to listen. He took his notebook, stuffed it into his bag and went out the door. He took a deep breath. Free. The worst part of the day was over. Just six hours and 15 minutes more to go.

He was on his way to second period-Algebra when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to see who it was and saw that it was Mimi. He held his breath. It was very out of the ordinary for her to be that close to him. She smiled politely, which made Matt's heart beat faster.

I was observing you a while ago and I noticed you need to deeply read the poem. You know, read between the lines." She smiled again. Matt was in complete shock, and anger. "I didn't ask for any of your opinions Ms. Know-It-All." He snapped and walked away.

Lunch bell rang, Matt sighed. He barely survived Algebra. Literature was hell, but Algebra—being the subject he hated most—went well. He was able to pass his homework and bet a B on the pop quiz. The day was starting to move swell. Just five more hours 'til basketball time.

Matt rushed out of the classroom and hurried off to the cafeteria. He had to see Michael and see if he and the gang were still go for tonight. He searched through the whole lunch crowd and spotted a group of guys on top of the last table who were wearing outfits of the same color—black. No wonder people usually stare at him wherever he goes. His attire was completely wacky.

He wore tight leather pants, a black cotton tee and a sleeveless black jacket. His hair of golden brown was smoothed down into a neat direction. He also wore black ankle high boots and black leather gloves with no fingers. He had a tattoo on his left shoulder and a nose ring.

If he were back in Japan right now, he was surely going to be a laughing stock. Good thing he wasn't there 'coz the tough crowd around Long Beach accepted this image. Maybe that's why he shifted into the present Matt Ishida from the past one.

"Yo, Matt!" Michael called. Matt nodded and approached the team. After doing their weird handshake, matt went straight to the point. "I was just wondering if tonight is still on." He announced to the group. For some reason, they all fell silent.

"What?" He asked them. Bryan, his co-swimmer and co-race driver stood up and looked at him. "Look man, I was really looking forward to tonight but I gotta bring my girl out to the movies." Matt grimaced. "You going soft on me man? Ditching me for a girl?"

Bryan looked offended. "Hey, just because you don't have a girl, doesn't mean you have to come on mine." He said. Matt raised both his hands in surrender. "Fine. Just at least try to come." He looked at the other s and shrugged. "We could just ask someone to take his place, right guys?" he suggested to all of them. Paul, another one from his swim team shook his head. "I'm sorry man. I promised my girl too."

Matt sighed and looked at the rest of the group; they all shook their heads. He looked at Michael with pleading eyes. "At least you're coming right man?" Michael stared at the concrete floor and Matt grimaced. "What? You're going out with a girl too?" he exclaimed. Michael looked up at him. "Actually man, I promised my Ma that I'll take her to my father's house." Matt grimaced even more.

"I can't believe you all ditched me for women. What's in them anyway?" He asked, raising his voice to an irritated level. They all looked at him sternly. Michael was the one who spoke for the group. "Listen Matt, we spend time everyday. During the street races, and our shoots, but we also have to spend some time with the women in our lives. Maybe it's time you got yourself one already." Michael suggested.

Matt snickered sarcastically. "Look, I have no time for women. So, if all of you are too busy to come with me, then fine." And with that he stormed out of the cafeteria.

The day went by dryly. Matt didn't pay any attention in the classes that he took. He was mad, bored and hungry. That scene at the cafeteria made him mad so much that he forgot about lunch. He found himself doodling is books and notebooks. He played deaf at all the teachers and students that talked to him. He was caught in his own lonely world.

He stood silently from his chair and walked steadily through the crowded hallways that were filled with after-school chatters. He passed jocks and cheerleaders, nerds and dunces. He walked past the buildings' doors and was greeted by a new sound. The sound of pom-poms being waved in the air, footballs being passed around, car tires screeching, and engines revving filled the air.

Matt sighed as he walked up to his Mustang. He should be part of the excited crowd, but because of the incident earlier at lunch, he wasn't sure what he felt. His blank self had once again reigned over Matt's body.

His face held no expression; his eyes were of a deep blue that twinkled as the sun hit it. His heart was at a steady beat, and his breath held in a silent pace. His thoughts were far from reality; his mind was filled of completely absurd things that a normal teenage boy could think of.

The words digital and destiny flashed through his mind. Death and Survival filled his heart. For that time being, Yamato "Matt" Ishida was no more than an alien to the human race of Long Beach. He was once again a loner, a nincompoop.

He drove his car carefully as he passed the busy streets of Long Beach. Never did he curse or yell like the other drivers when there was traffic or a lagging car. He never left his eyes from the road. He neither looked left nor right. He was determined to do one thing: go home and sleep for the rest of his life.


	2. II

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 2: Couldn't Get Better Than This**

Mimi Tachikawa woke up the next morning with a heavy feeling weighing down her spine. Last night was a drag. She came home from school tired and drained out of energy from cheerleading practice. She didn't get to rest because Lana and Nina came to her house and dragged her to the mall. They spent three hours and a half looking for the 'perfect' nail polish for Lana's 'perfect' nails, the 'sexiest' dress for Nina's 'sexy' body, and the 'weirdest' shoes for little 'ol 'weird' Mimi.

Mimi stretched her arms and yawned. What was she going to do today? It was a Saturday and she didn't even have any plans. Lana had a birthday party to attend and Nina had a date with Josh. Now, what was she supposed to do?

She searched through her organizer and hoped that she scrabbled a note or something that she would do today. She sighed. Nope. Nada. Not even one event written on it. She looked through the other pages of her organizer and noticed that this was the first ever page that was left blank. She groaned. It wasn't usual for her to not have an activity to do. She was always busy, thus it was impossible for her to not have any plans for today.

She got up from her bed and went inside the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. That weight was still weighing her spine down. She stretched her arms once again until her bones gave a cracking sound. Why did she feel heavy today? She gasped. She ate three corndogs and half a box of pizza yesterday!

She groaned. Great. So she was a pig yesterday, did that mean she'd add on some weight? Her metabolism was fast than a running Cheetah! She went to her closet and dug in for her weighing scale. She stood on it, and as the results were flashed, she almost fainted. She gained five pounds! Five pounds just because of some pizza and corndogs? This is insanity!

She wanted so much to puke and to scream, but knew that doing so wouldn't be proper. She stood up and calmed herself. She opened her closet again and got out her jogging pants, a sleeveless tee, and her rubber shoes. She put them on and hung her chocolate brown hair into a long ponytail. She stepped out of her room and jogged down the stairs.

"Good morning honey!" Her mom called out from the kitchen. "Be back in an hour, mom!" She called back as she left the house. She was greeted by the scent of morning dew and newly mowed lawns. She took a deep breath. "Okay Mimi, you have to burn all those unwanted calories and get back your perfect weight and body." She assured herself before she jogged out of their front lawn.

It was only twenty minutes since she started her jog and already Mimi was sweating. She panted as she took every step. The sun was already shining brightly on her and she was starting to feel hot. She stopped to take a breath and let her blood circulate. She looked around her surroundings and noticed that she was already a block away from home. She was uphill of their village. This was where… Matt Ishida lived.

Matt Ishida. He was a doofus. He knew nothing about literature and the way it touches every person's feelings. He didn't belong to the nerd or the jock section. He was in between. He didn't have a single clue as to how life should be taken. He was a loser.

Mimi sighed as she started to brisk walk along the neighborhood lane. She passed different types of fences and lawns which were being mowed. She wiped her sweat and looked up to the sky. She cringed as the sun hit her eyes. She shielded her delicate brown eyes with her hand and admired a flock of birds flying above the sky. She sighed, as she was lost in her own peaceful world.

The sky was of azure blue and the sun shone brightly as it does during the summertime. The clouds of cumulus filled the sky and made different kinds of shapes. She smiled at one cloud that formed like a rabbit and another one that looked like a ship. She laughed inwardly. During her past years when she was still an innocent kid, cloud watching always calmed her. Every time she was picked on or when she had a fight, she'd lie on the grass and let the clouds take away her anger.

"What brings you here?" asked a deep voice from behind her. She spun around and met a pair of cool deep blue eyes. Matt. He was dressed in a basketball jersey and held a ball in his hands. Mimi frowned. She didn't want to waste her time with a dork-o. She rolled her eyes and walked away. "Good morning to you too!" Matt called after her. She didn't even bother to look back, because she knew it would be of no use.

She walked briskly back home, feeling very enraged at the sight of Matt. She never wanted to see him or talk to him. He was not of her level. All these thoughts came into her mind freely, but one thought lingered at the very back part of her brain: Matt's eyes were the most clear and most attractive eyes she'd ever seen.


	3. III

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 3: Life's A Ball**

****

The whole court echoed with the sound of the basket ball hitting the concrete floor and hissing as it shot through the ring. The court was empty and the only person around was Matt. His sweat formed on his forehead and through his arms. He dribbled the ball and made a perfect slam-dunk. He ran around the court as he dribbled the ball and did practiced and careful moves as if he was playing with other players.

Ever since he was a kid, being a basketball star was what he always dreamed of. Before his parents got divorced, Matt and his dad usually did their Saturday night games. One-on-One. Matt's dad would always train him well, and taught him every possible trick that he knew. He was Matt's idol then, but nowadays his father never even had time to go home.

Matt took a deep breath as he positioned himself for a three-point shot. He closed his eyes and imagined a huge crowd filling the court, chanting his name. "Matt! Matt!" they all cheered as he was about to finalize the game. He took another deep breath and through the perfectly. The crowd silenced eager to know if it would score or wont. Matt closed his eyes; a feeling of deep peace filled him. Not until he heard the sound of the ball being swapped away.

He opened his eyes, brought back from his imagined game and stared at the person who started to dribble the ball. It was Michael. Matt panted, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your girl?" Matt sneered.

Michael shrugged. "We had an argument, so I thought shooting some hoops would clear my mind." Matt snickered. "Finally got yourself into your senses, eh?" Michael shook his head. "No. I'm still in for girls, I just want to forget how bad I hurt the last one." Matt looked at him disapprovingly. "I never understand it why you love to lay a girl and dump her the next day." He commented. Michael held the ball in his hands and passed it to Matt. "That's my style." Michael said coolly. Matt shrugged. "Whatever."

They started their One-on-On game. Matt held the ball tightly and tried to make a move as Michael blocked him. Matt swayed from left to right and back, trying to find the right timing and the right angle. He dribbled the ball in between his legs and made a suave turn. "Nice fake Yama-kun!" Cheered a girls voice from behind. Matt was brought back again to his imagined game and looked at the voice that cheered. It was Mimi. She held pom-poms and was cheering for him happily. Matt was too caught up with the game in his mind that he didn't see Michael as he stole the ball from Matt's grip.

Matt turned around to see Michael shoot a three-pointer. "Better pay more attention." Michael commented as the ball hit the ground. Matt shrugged. "Got caught up in my fantasy world out there." Michael smiled. "Still dreaming of the interschool championship, eh?" matt nodded as he ran his hand through his hair. "Never got tired of it." Michael laughed and approached Matt. "Why don't we continue the game and see who really is meant for the championship." Matt smiled and nodded.

A bolt of energy went through him, and his muscles tightened in excitement. He focused his whole body and soul at the game at hand, pushing away the irritating pictures of Mimi from his mind.

"Look Nina, all I'm saying is that his eyes are clear and blue." Mimi explained over her Pooh cordless phone as she gently coated her toenails with bright pink polish. She heard Nina sigh on the other line. "Fine. I'm just trying to clear out stuff, k? I mean, I'd die if you fall for him. He's a freak." Mimi rolled her eyes. Sometimes Nina could get straightforward. "By the way," Nina continued. "Is that date with Tai on?" She asked eagerly.

Mimi beamed. Taichi Kamiya. He's the president of various school clubs, salutatorian, ace swimmer and quarterback of the school. He was every girl's dream guy, not to mention Mimi's. Mimi sighed dreamily. She'd pay anything to go out with the hunk, and now that he did ask her out, she wasn't quiet sure. He asked her out yesterday, and Mimi was sure her artery's fell. Being asked out by Tai was one of her dreams at night. And it was coming true! But somehow, she wasn't up to it.

"Hello? You still there?" Nina asked irritated. "Look, Mimi, let's just talk later, I still have to see my prince…" Mimi smiled weakly. "Okay, see you later Princess." Nina giggled. "When I call you, you better have a good answer for Tai's date. Then I could help you find the sexiest dress around town." Nina said excitedly. Mimi smiled. "Kay." And she hung up.

Plopped herself on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Why was she having second thoughts about Tai? She should be happy. This was her dream. Problem was, does she really want it to come true? Ever since she stared into those ocean blues eyes, her feelings were changing. Long before, just with the sound of Tai's name, she could feel a tingle rise through her spine. But when Nina mentioned it, she didn't feel anything but friendship.

She stood up and walked in front of her mirror. What was wrong with her? This was Tai they were talking about, how could she not want to be with him? She sighed and dismissed the thoughts of both Tai and Matt from her mind and went to her computer. She opened a file that said 'School work' and stared at the screen. Long before too, homework thrilled her and she never hesitated in doing it. Now, she hated the thought of it.

She closed the program and connected to MSN. It's been a long time since she chatted. Ever since the scholarship program going on, Mimi never had enough time to do "fun" stuff. She was greeted by a bundle of instant messages from old MSN friends but didn't mind them. She wasn't in the mood to talk about the latest CCS news, or who's going out together. She just wanted to talk to someone casual.

She read what the other chatters on line were talking about and sighed. This was a drag. She was about to quit when a new fella came along. Great Guy was his nick. Somehow, Mimi was intrigued. The nickname had an effect on her that made her click it.

PinkPrincess: Hi! I'm not sure if I know you…

GreatGuy: hey, yeah I know you don't

PinkPrincess: well? Care to introduce yourself or should I just block you?

GreatGuy: haha. Aren't we rude?

PinkPrincess: I'm just not accustomed to talking to strangers

GreatGuy: oh? And the people you usually talk to here aren't? ;)

PinkPrincess: …

GreatGuy: haha. Sorry, I think I lost my manners…

PinkPrincess: yeah, I noticed.

GreatGuy: well, you can call me Mike. I know a friend of yours and she asked me to add you.

PinkPrincess: Ah, I feel like I've just been auctioned.

GreatGuy: haha! Nah, you just met a new friend ;

PinkPrincess: )

GreatGuy: Now where'd your manners go? Aren't you going to give me your name?

PinkPrincess: I thought you already knew who I am, seeming you're so interested in me ;

GreatGuy: So much for subtle huh :P

PinkPrincess: he he ;

GreatGuy: Ah, I have to go now ; nice meeting you princess

Great Guy has signed off

Mimi smiled. Somehow, meeting this "Great Guy" made her excited. She smiled the more. Good. That meant she had something else to think about aside from Matt or Tai.

He popped the soda can open and drank it's contents with one gulp. Sweat formed on his forehead. "Yo, Matt. It's a Saturday today. Meet you at the alley 10:30." Michael called out before he went inside his car and drove off. Matt snickered. Yet another Street Race to win.


	4. IV

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 4: Let's Race!**

****

The sun has set, and the moon had taken over the sky. An alley between two disserted buildings was filled with the revving of engines, the chatter of both girl and boy drivers, and the rap coming out from different kinds of boom boxes. There was approximately three hundred racing cars parked all throughout the alley. Drivers were either attending to their cars or the women that overpopulated the area. There was a chill in the air as though something different were to happen that night.

Five Civic 2000's in full race mode drove roughly towards the alley and the place hushed. The leading light blue car stopped and the four others followed. Matt came out of the blue car and was greeted by cheers around the place. "Yo, Matt." One guy greeted him with a handshake. Michael, Bryan, Paul, and Jason came out of their own cars and were greeted by handshakes and caresses too.

"Hey, Michael," called a girl in a backless tee and tight snakeskin pants. "Why don't we get together later?" she asked as she took Michaels hand and brought it to her chest. Michael allowed the girl to do so and caressed the mammary gland. "Why not." He answered in a husk voice. "Michael, get your ass right here!" Matt called. "Gotta go, sweetie. See ya." He told the girl and kissed her hand.

"Okay, so we do the same thing around here. Winner gets all the cash." Matt announced to the large crowd who had gathered around him. "Who's on?" he called out to everyone. Two guys gave their bets to Matt calmly. "Looks like we need one more!" He announced.

"Count me on." Said a girl's voice. Everyone turned their attention to the voice. The girl wore a leather mini skirt and a dangling silver tee. She had a helmet on so no one saw her face. Matt snickered. "You? Look, girls here watch. They don't go play with the bad boys." He told her. The girl went in front of Matt, but she still didn't take her helmet off. "I'm betting my car." She said. She handed Matt a pink slip. Matt stared at the slip. "You've gotta be kidding, lady." He said.

"Well, guess what," she started. "I'm not. Look, if I lose you take my car. But if I win, I get all the money and a date from you." She announced. Everyone laughed including Matt. "A date?" he asked. The girl nodded. "Yah, to some girls, a date with you is much better than the money." She said casually. "Youch!" Michael said, sounding like a hissing cat. Everyone around laughed too. Matt stared at the helmet. "Where's your car?" he asked.

The girl turned around and went to her car. It was of a color yellow. Jason opened the hood. "Whoa…" Everyone said. "I see a cool air intake, a NOS fogger system and a T-four turbo, Matt." Jason said as he looked around the engine. "It has an A.I.C. controller, a direct port nitrous injection," He continued as he scavenged the entire engine. "Yeah, and a stand-alone fuel management system." Matt finished for him. Jason laughed. "You see that shit, everybody?" he called out to the crowd. "She's got enough NOS in there to blow her into ashes!" Everyone nodded.

Matt stared at the girl who had her hand to her waist. "Not bad to spend ten thousand dollars." he commented. Everyone gasped. "Yeah, baby!" an onlooker said. The girl sneered. "So, am I worthy?" She asked. Matt grinned. "Not yet, but we'll see. You're on." And with that everyone cheered. All of the people around the alley went to their own cars and drove. They all seemed to be telepathic 'coz they didn't need to agree on where they should meet.

At some point, all three hundred cars came together in a place called Alamitos Avenue. Every spectator blocked the street with his or her car. A mail truck came from one lane and stopped as some streetcars blocked him. The driver came out. "What's happenin' here?" he called out. "Streets closed, messenger boy. Go find your way home." a street racer told him. "Damn street racers." The driver complained as he went back to his truck.

Four cars assembled at the starting point that Michael had drawn on the street. Matt turned on his huge stereo that was placed behind his car and turned the volume really loud. A girl wearing tight shorts and a tight sleeveless shirt went in front of the four cars and took out a gun. She held it up in the air and pulled the trigger. The four cars revved and started the race. Matt's car was first to move and went first all the way. The unknown girl was at the last spot. She was going at a 100 per hour. People were cheering for Matt and booing for the girl.

The girl cursed and stepped on the gas. She shifted her gear and pressed a button on her steering wheel that was labeled NOS one. She pushed the button and with a hissing sound, her car went past the two other cars and finally Matt's. She smiled. "I'm winning." She told herself. Matt stared at the car and shook his head. He looked at the four little bottles of NOS assembled inside the front seat. He had assembled it earlier and thought that it was time to give his baby an adrenaline rush.

He clicked a switch near it and his car went zooming past the girl's car. He was going at 150, 160, then finally at 175 and he was on the roll. He was about ten meters away from the girl's car. He cheered for himself and went all the way. Upon seeing that Matt was ahead of her, she cursed and pressed another button that was labeled NOS 2. Too late for her though, 'coz Matt had already passed the finish line.

Matt went out of his car and everyone cheered. "The King has proven himself yet again!" Michael announced as he gave Matt a handshake and the money including the pink slip. The girl drove her car right beside Matt's and as she stopped, her engine hissed and smoke came out from under the hood. "Aww…." The crowd said as they saw what happened to the car. The girl stepped out of it.

"Well, now that I won, I guess it's time you took off that helmet. I won't be beating you anymore." Matt told the girl. The whole crowd laughed. The girl took off her helmet and let her auburn hair cascade to her neck. "Whoa…" everyone cheered. "Pretty little ass!" called on spectator. Every guy around made howling sounds that made the girls beside him upset. "Why don't you take me to a date?" another spectator called out.

Matt held up his hands to silence the crowd. The girl was grinning. She took out her hand. "Sora Takenouchi, nice to race with you." She said. Matt stared at the hand held out to him, and shook it with his own. "Do I know you?" he asked Sora. "Shouldn't you? We're in the same class. Physics." Sora said casually. "Physics, eh?" Matt snickered. "What brings you here?" He asked her. "Well, I've seen you race and the way girls drool all over you. I love cars. So I thought I'd try mine." She explained. "Well, I guess you lost." Matt chuckled.

Sora snickered. "Yeah, but I almost got you there." She said. Matt looked at her strangely. He sneered. "You almost got me?" He echoed. "Hell, yeah." Sora said. Matt snickered even the more. "You never had me. You never had your car." He told her as he went around the yellow car. Everyone cheered for Matt. "Granny shifting, not double-clutchin' like you should," he started which made the crowd go 'ooh…' "You're lucky that hundred-shot NOS didn't blow the welds on the intake." He finished. "Ow…" Michael said.

"Now me and Michael here have to tear it apart and replace the parts that you've burned." He said in a teasing way. Matt sighed and looked at one guy. "Almost had me, huh?" he asked him. The guy laughed. "You go tell her Matt."

Matt was about to make another comment when Paul announced to everyone. "We got cops!" he shouted through the speakerphones. All of the street racers and spectators skidaddled their way to their cars and went off as dozens of police cars with sirens blaring through the air came from every direction of the street. "Halt!" One policeman called. Although he was too late, for most of the three hundred cars were out of sight.

Matt walked through the corridors of Long Beach International High on Monday morning with a different aura lingering through him. His step was calm and was steady, his head high and his gaze cool and unreadable. He was in a good mood. He walked to his locker and opened it, scavenging for his Physics homework that he finished Thursday afternoon. He closed his locker and continued his stride through the corridor until he caught a glimpse of some auburn hair.

He sneered. It was time Sora paid her debts. He straightened himself along with his backpack and approached Sora's back. He tapped her shoulder. She turned around and smiled once she got contact with Matt's eyes. "Asking me for a date?" She asked in a flirtatious way. Matt snickered. "What made you think I'd actually ask you for a date?" he asked coldly. Sora pouted. "What do you want then?" she asked, obviously irritated. She started to walk away from her locker.

"I just wanted to remind you about my car." Matt said casually going along with her stride. Sora giggled. "What if I won't give it to you?" She asked. Matt stopped walking and so did Sora. He faced her cheerful face and cut through her eyes with his clear blue eyes that were full of malice. "You wouldn't wanna know." With that he left and went to First period Literature, leaving an intrigued Sora behind.

It was three-thirty in the afternoon and already Matt was bored. He sighed as he tapped his pencil on his desk. He was in his Home Economics class. A major bore. He sighed and looked around the room. His classmates were throwing paper cranes and other stuff at each other, making so much noise and a large clutter on the floor. He sighed. Typical senior class.

As the teacher came through the door, the whole class fell silent. Students were back on their seats acting innocent of the mess around the room. The teacher however, didn't even notice the clutter. In fact, she was all smiles. Must have had a beautiful day. Matt thought bitterly. Well good for her. The teacher, Ms. Campbell, clapped her hands and smiled all the more. "I have a good surprise for all of you." She announced. The whole class groaned. The last surprise she gave them was the twenty-page essay on pollution. Shouldn't they be complaining?

Ms. Campbell raised her hands. "Okay, okay. Just let me explain first. You see the next lesson we are going to handle is Family Matters." She announced, smiling. "Just to make this lesson more interesting and more enjoyable, I decided I'd pair you into two and you'd act as mother and father, deal with both financial and emotional matters. You'll each be given separate charts for you to write down all that you have achieved and failed. Now, you should spend time with your partners more or less twelve hours a day," the whole class groaned and mumbled. "Look, if none of you will do this, then I'll give all of you an F for this school year." Campbell said sternly.

The whole class silenced. "Okay, so I want all of you boys to come up here and pick the name of the girl you are going to be with." She continued. Each guy around the classroom stood up hastily and walked to the teacher's desk. Matt was third in line, hoping that he'd have a decent partner. When it was his turn to pick, his hands were trembling, and his heart pounding loudly. He crossed his fingers and picked a rolled-up paper. He opened it, and to his shock, read the name aloud. "Mimi Tachikawa," he said to the teacher and to the whole class.

All of the girls turned to Mimi and scowled at her. It was clear that they were hoping to be his partner. Mimi in the other hand was as cold as ice, as stiff as a board and as enraged as a tigress would be when her cubs are stolen. She stopped breathing and thinking all together. She didn't hear anything else than pounding of her heart.

"Okay Matt, go sit beside Mimi and plan for your project. Here are your problems to be solved." Ms. Campbell said casually as she handed Matt with a thick brown envelope. Matt walked slowly and hastily towards the seat beside Mimi. He noticed that she was staring into space like as if she's seen a ghost. Great. How was he supposed to deal with Ms. Know-It-All?

Mimi knew that Matt was walking towards her. The closer he got the more she held her breath. The last thing she wanted to be was Matt's wife. She wanted, needed a decent grade for her to pass the scholarship, but with Matt around, how was that possible. Great. How was she supposed to deal with Mr. I-Don't-Give-A-Damn-About-Anything?


	5. V

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 5: A Family!**

****

The school bell had rung, and Matt dashed out of the school doors. The last thing he wanted to do was "plan" stuff with Mimi. It was a good thing that the bell rang right before he got to her seat. He was lucky.

"Matt!" a girl's voice called out.

There goes the luck. He turned around and sighed. It sure was Mimi and she didn't look anything like the usual I-Know-Everything Mimi. Must be because of him. Matt laughed silently. Maybe pissing her off would be fun. "I—uh, I just wanted to—uh, talk about the project." Mimi stammered as she went closer to Matt. Matt noticed that she was twirling her fingers and biting her lower lip. Matt grinned inwardly. He must admit Mimi looked cute when she's nervous.

He observed the girl in front of him. She wore sexy sandals that exposed her perfectly polished nails, a hipster that brought out the curves of her long slender legs, and a hanging tee that gave him a pretty good view of Mimi's belly button. He smiled. She wasn't just cute she was sexy. Unfortunately, Matt had no intention of getting together with her. "Yeah? What about it?" he asked coldly.

Mimi sighed. "Look, I don't like this as much as you do, but we have to work together. I don't want to get an F!" she exclaimed. Matt snickered. "Is that all you care for, grades?" He asked, as he began to turn around. Mimi grabbed his arm and held him back. "Look, I know you might think of me as a nerd or something, but I'm not. I want to have a decent, well-planned future, and to do that, I need good grades. So please, cooperate." Mimi explained, with pleading eyes.

Matt stared at the girl in front of him and looked around the campus. He sighed. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. And we'll talk about it." He finally gave in. "No, Matt. We need to start today." Mimi said, not letting go of his arm. Matt looked at her in disbelief. "What? Today? I got band practice!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth. Mimi let go of his arm and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not the only one who has plans. I promise, if we do this today, we won't do it tomorrow. We'll continue on Wednesday." She explained.

Matt placed a hand on his chin and thought about it while looking around the nearly empty campus. "Do we have to stay here?" he asked. Mimi grinned. "No. We go to my house." She answered. Matt's jaw dropped. "Your house? No way!" he exclaimed. Mimi looked at him sternly. "Got a better place to go? It's not like you'd allow me to go to your house." She snapped.

Matt raised his arms in surrender. "Okay. Okay. I'll go." He told her. Mimi smiled at him and took his arm. "C'mon." she said. Matt looked at the fragile and soft hand his hand enveloped. Somehow, he wanted to hold it tighter and kiss it. He shook his head. That was the most stupid thing he ever thought of. He let go of Mimi's hand and walked behind her. Just looking at her form shining through the suns rays made a huge lump in his throat. Right then and there, he had the feeling he was making a wrong move.

"This is it!" Mimi exclaimed as she parked her car in the driveway. Matt got out uncomfortably and looked at the three-story house. "Big house." He commented. Mimi smiled and went in. "Come." She told him. Matt stepped inside the living room and looked around the place. Everything was in order, no clatter on the floor, not dust on the walls. The whole place was neat. "Whaddya think?" Mimi asked him. Matt sighed. "Well, it uh, it's… cozy, I guess." Mimi smiled at him. "I'll go get you something to drink." She said as she walked towards the kitchen.

Matt looked at a picture of Mimi's family on top of a counter. "Where are your parents?" he called out. "They're not here." Mimi said as she re-appeared holding two cans of Coke. "My dad's a businessman and he's usually out everyday. My mom has a cooking show, and her taping is until ten." She explained as she handed Matt a soda. "Thanks," he mumbled. "So, uh… so where are we going to do the project?" He asked as he took a sip of his soda.

"My room." Mimi said casually, that mad Matt almost spit out the gulp of soda he took. "Your room?" He asked. "Yeah. Why?" Mimi asked him curiously. "Well, I—the—the project's about paper work. I—I don't think we really have to act like husband and—and, wife, you know." He stammered. Mimi laughed. "You put too much malice on things." She commented. Matt shrugged. "Well, you're parents are not here and I thought you—"

Slap!

He wasn't even able to finish his comment as he felt Mimi's hand hit his cheek hard. "Pervert." She said through gritted teeth. "Look, my things are in my room which is located in the third floor, and I don't want to drain myself by bringing them here and back there." She explained. Matt sighed. "Yeah, whatever." He mumbled.

He followed Mimi up the two sets of stairs and tried hard not to stare at her butt that was swaying to and fro as she walked up the stairs. Matt couldn't feel any less than humiliated as he walked up behind her. He looked down all the way until they got to the third floor. "Here." Mimi said as she opened the door and turned the lights on. Matt's eyes widened. "Your room occupies this whole floor?" he asked, stunned.

Mimi laughed. "Mhmm…" she answered. Matt looked around amazed. The left part of the floor had a divider that led to what looked like a music room. There was a set of drums, a piano, and two guitar cases. Matt moved his glance through the room and noticed three bean bags on the floor, magazines scattered in front of it, a playstation, numbers of cd's in a rack and a big water bed right in the center of two great lampshades at the right side of the floor. This place looked like a hotel room.

There was a large air conditioning system at the center of the entire floor. Mimi turned it on and plopped her bag on the study table/computer table that was placed at the left side of her bed. Matt noticed that her bed was full of teddy bears and plushies. Cute. They probably all came from admirers. Matt also noted the Pooh bear screensaver in her computer. Everything around the room screamed 'Mimi'. Matt felt like being inside Mimi as he stood there, looking at everything.

He picked up a picture frame on the bedside table and smiled. It was of Mimi and her gang of cheerleaders. He picked another picture frame and smiled all the more. It was of a nine-year old Mimi. She had braces and glasses. He was uncomfortably attracted to the nine year old Mimi, that he jumped as Mimi stood beside him all of the sudden. "Don't even bother telling the whole school about that it's been out decades ago." She said casually as she rolled her eyes. She walked up to the center of the room where the beanbags stayed and plopped herself on the pink one.

Sat Indian style across of her on the floor and picked up a piece of paper that labeled: Family Problem No. 1. He sighed. He really wasn't in any mood to plan a family life, but, what the heck. He took a deep breath and read the problem:

_You and your wife are recently married. Five months have passed and already she's pregnant._

_Both sets of parents won't offer any help because they say you two should face your problems._

_Considering the fact that you're married at the age of nineteen, how could you handle a baby_

_And both of your needs, as well as your studies?_

Matt groaned. "The first problem and already it's hard." He commented. Mimi sighed and took the piece of paper. She read it all over again and sighed. She must admit, Matt was right for the first time. It was difficult. She stared at the piece of paper and after a while she grinned. "What's all the smiling about? You find it funny?" Matt asked sarcastically. Mimi frowned at him. "What if we…?" she started as she laid the paper on the floor and scribbled something on a scratch paper.

Three hours had passed and they've conquered four problems already. Matt read all four again and grinned. So far so good. Mimi sighed and lay down on the floor. "I think that's enough for tonight. We'll continue on Wednesday." Mimi said. She sat back up and smiled at Matt. "I'm glad you're not against it." She teased. Matt grinned lazily. "I guess I'm starting to like this. Not only am I going to get a good grade, I'm probably going to gain a few pounds." He laughed as he looked around the room. A box of pizza lay open on the floor. It was empty, six empty cans of soda was scattered around, a pack of nachos and a plate of chocolate-chip cookies.

Matt let out a burp and laughed. He thought that Mimi would cringe in disgust, but to his surprise, she burped too. Matt laughed hard. And soon, Mimi followed. They both were laughing on the floor and after their chuckles and giggles subsided, the whole place fell silent. The only thing they could here was the machine of the air-condition. Mimi sat up and Matt did too. They stared at each other, and for that one second, all they could see was a warm feeling as they stared into each other's eyes. Girl into boy. Blue into brown.

Matt shook his head. And looked at the pile of papers on the floor. Mimi's face flushed and she stood up hastily. That last contact mad her heart skip a beat and now it was beating so hard that it hurt. She walked to her bed and looked at the alarm clock on her bedside table. It was just nine o'clock. Too early. Somehow, she wanted Matt to stay longer, but she pushed the thought out of her mind. Like as if Matt would agree to that. She saw Matt stand up and pick up his bag. She sighed. Might as well let him go.

Matt started to pick up the soda cans and gathered it around the empty box and the nachos. "Hey, you don't have to do that." Mimi called out. "I can handle it myself." She said. "But I insist." Matt said and smiled at her. After doing so, he looked at Mimi and shrugged. "Might as well get going. I still have to study for the pop quiz in Literature this Wednesday." He said casually. Mimi shrugged too. Matt smiled and started to move towards the door.

"Hey Matt," Mimi said in barely a whisper. Matt turned around to face her. For a while there, Mimi thought she saw a flicker of hope in his cold stare. "Hmm…?" he asked. Mimi stuffed her hands into her jeans. "Maybe we could see each other tomorrow, you know—a cup of coffee," Matt stared at her. "—and I could, uh, help you study." It was more of like a hopeful question than a sentence. Matt grinned. "Sure. That would be great."

Mimi smiled back and nodded. "Great." Matt looked at her one last time and went down the stairs and out of the house. He let out a long breath as he stepped into the walkway. This night was sure to be one of the greatest nights Matt ever had.


	6. VI

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 6: And So It Begins**

****

Mimi woke up the next morning with a happy feeling. She felt like as if she had a night with a prince charming. She smiled and took a hot shower. From the time she entered her large bathroom, until she was in her dad's car, all she ever thought of was Matt. And every time his face flashed through her mind, she couldn't help but smile. She went out of the car and hugged both her parents goodbye much to their surprise.

She walked through the corridors very calm and cheerful, greeting all those who greeted her with a big warm smile. Her head was extra high and her poise well balanced. Everywhere she went she had a smile on. Not one single negative thought ran through her mind. Everything around her was cheerful, not to mention perfect. It was one of those days.

"Mimi!" a high-pitched voice called. Mimi spun around and her smile grew more cheerful. "Nina!" she greeted. She stopped her tracks and waited for Nina to catch up with her. They hugged and when Nina let go she stared into Mimi's eyes, holding her shoulders. "You're unnaturally cheerful today," she commented. Mimi just smiled and continued her walk to Literature. "Hmm… let me guess… you're going out with Tai!" Nina exclaimed, which made Mimi jump and stare at her friend. "No!" she told Nina. "I'm just…" she wasn't able to finish her sentence as she caught a glimpse of black leather and blonde hair.

"Err… Nina… see you at lunch, I'm late." She said in a hurry and ran towards Mr. O'Connell's room. She dashed in and took the seat next to Matt. Matt on the other hand, was too busy doodling his notebook to notice someone sit beside him. He sighed and looked at the seat in front of him, expecting to see Mimi on it. He gasped silently. She wasn't there. He straightened his back and looked around the room, starting from behind, missing Mimi who was looking at him fervently. Half of Matt's body was already up in the air, and his head was swirling around the corners of the room, searching for Mimi.

"Who you looking for?" Mimi asked which made Matt jump. He looked at her and sat back into his seat, feeling awkwardly embarrassed. "Err… I just thought someone was calling my name." He answered back coolly. Mimi shrugged. Matt stared at the board for a moment and looked at Mimi. Mimi faced him, an eyebrow raised, which caused Matt to turn his head and stare back at the board. After a brief moment, he looked at her again, and this time, Mimi was fast enough to look at him back. Matt once again turned his attention to the board.

Mimi giggled. "You know, if you do that for 30 times, the next time you move your head, it'd break your bones." Matt looked at her unknowingly. "Really?" he asked. Mimi laughed all the more. "I should've been sitting here since classes started." Mimi commented. Matt raised an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked. Mimi shrugged. "It could be such a bore sitting up front. I feel much lighter back here." She said, and beamed at Matt. Matt sighed. "Well, a lot of girls say that. I guess I am a good company."

Mimi punched him playfully on the shoulder. "You're full of air." She said. Matt was about to comment on that, when the girl who usually sat beside him tapped Mimi's shoulders and glared at her. "I think you're on my seat." She said sternly. Mimi was taken aback, and tried to say something but nothing came out. Matt cleared his throat. "Uh, I don't see your name on it..." he mentioned, looking at the seat, as if searching for the girls name. The girl raised an eyebrow and groaned. "Fine." She mumbled and went to Mimi's old seat.

Mimi smiled at him. "Thanks." She said. Matt shrugged. "No prob." He answered back. Mimi bit her lip. "So, you're going soft, rescuing girls?" she teased. Matt smiled at her. "Actually, I was hoping to ruin your day by staining your hair with ink, or by ripping your notebooks—or, I could take the pleasure of breaking one of your nails." He said sarcastically. Mimi smiled wryly and sat properly on her seat. "That would be fun." She mumbled loud enough for Matt to hear. Matt snickered. "Yeah. It would be, back in ninth grade." He mumbled back.

Both of them giggled but stopped abruptly when O'Connell entered the room. Mimi tore a part of her notebook and scribbled something on it. She crumpled it and passed it to Matt, making sure O'Connell wouldn't see. Matt read the note.

_Are we still on tonight?_

Matt sighed and made a sideward glance to Mimi's direction. He sighed and smiled at himself. He was supposed to meet with Michael. He called last night, and invited Matt to a game of basketball. Oh, well. They ditched him once, maybe it'd be fair if he ditched them too. He sighed and scribbled a note before passing it to Mimi. Mimi read the note.

_Sure._

Mimi smiled inwardly. Somehow, she was excited. She sighed happily. This is the first time she felt excited over a cup of coffee with a guy.

It was five in the afternoon and both Matt and Mimi were inside Bo's Coffee shop. Mimi had a latte while Matt had a cappuccino. They had a brief conversation about the day before Mimi brought out the topic about Literature. An hour passed and both of them had the Lit. books wide open. Mimi had a highlighter in her right hand, sucked up by the contents she was reading. Matt stretched his arms and sighed. This caught Mimi's attention. "You okay?" she asked him.

Matt shook his head. "I just can't get Wordsworth's three philosophies in life into my head." He commented as he struck his book with his hand. Mimi smiled politely. "Mind if I help you?" she offered. Matt stared at her for a moment and shrugged. "I think I'll need it." He said flatly. Mimi smiled back and started discussing about Wordsworth's philosophies. Matt leaned over, to see what she was scribbling on his book and nodded every time Mimi asked him if he understood.

Another hour later, they were already reviewing the authors they had previously studied in class.

"Shelley,"

"The Indian Serenade," Matt answered. Mimi nodded.

"Jonson," she proceeded

"Song to Celia," Matt answered.

"Rossetti,"

"Song,"

Mimi smiled. "Good," she commented. "Now, on to their backgrounds." Matt nodded.

"He was the songwriter of Scotland."

"Robert Burns."

"He was England's poet of nature."

"William Wordsworth."

"He was the voice of his people."

Matt looked at Mimi. He placed his hand on his chin, and was deep in thought. He grunted. "I always forget that!" he exclaimed. Mimi raised an eyebrow as she peeked behind the book she was holding. Matt started to hit the table with his hands. "Um... um..." He raised his index finger. "Aha! Alfred, Lord Tennyson." He answered proudly. Mimi laughed. "Yay!" she clapped. "I guess that's it." She said. Matt stood up and made a position of a captain on his ship. "I have conquered American Literature!" he exclaimed in a deep voice.

Mimi laughed a lot and told him to sit down. Matt was laughing too as he sat back down on his chair. His eyes never left Mimi's face. He cleared his throat. Mimi stopped laughing and looked at him. "I was wondering. You've been asking too many questions, I think it's my turn to ask you one." He said. Mimi nodded "Okay." Matt smiled at her and winked. He took the book from Mimi and started to scan the page.

"Hmm…" he said as he scanned the pages. "What do you say…" he started, looking seriously at a paragraph on the book. "I take you street racing this Saturday?" he finished, still looking at the paragraph. Mimi chuckled. "I don't think that's in the book." Mimi commented. Matt closed the book. He looked at her casually looking like a lawyer from a rich firm. "I don't think you'd find a question like that from the topic of Contemporary British Literature." He said. Mimi laughed politely and bit her lip.

Matt sighed. "Look, you've brought me into your world of books, people, numbers, poems, and all those stuff. So I think it's time I bring you to my world." He said, his voice back to normal. Mimi raised and eyebrow. "Which is… street racing?" she asked. Matt nodded. "Bingo! I tell you, it's a beautiful world of cars and NOS.," he said. Mimi giggled. "I'm not sure." Matt pouted and made puppy-dog eyes. "C'mon… give me a chance to prove to you that street racing isn't all that bad." He pleaded to her.

Mimi took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll tell you what I think of street racing and you tell me if it's the truth or not." She said. Matt nodded. Mimi leaned to the table and sighed. "Here it goes." She heaved a deep breath and looked at Matt seriously. "Saturday night. Midnight. A deserted street in a lonely industrial wasteland on the outskirts of Los Angeles. It's quiet. Suddenly a mighty roar. The air is filled with the sound of turbo-charged horsepower, coming from under the hoods of dozens of colorful Japanese and German subcompacts and sports cars, which quickly pull into the street and create an illegal drag strip a quarter-mile long. Now, men and women drive these customized vehicles mostly at their teens, representing all races and nationalities. How dangerous could that get?" She asked, an eyebrow rose.

Matt's eyebrow was raised too, and after a moment of utter silence he chuckled. Mimi scowled at him. "What?" she asked annoyed. "You could be an author. You know." Matt commented. Mimi sighed. "Whatever." She said flatly. Matt stopped laughing and looked seriously at her. "You make it sound bad. It's just a bunch of teens, grouped together, walking around, observing each other's cars admire them, and finally get to the business at hand—finding out who's the fastest around." Matt explained casually. Mimi sighed again. "Okay. I'll go see. As long as you promise that if I can't take it any longer, you'll bring me home." Mimi told him.

Matt smiled and placed a hand on his forehead, making a salute. "Scouts honor." He said. Mimi smiled and gathered her books. "Now, I think I better go home." She said. Matt nodded and gathered his stuff as well. "Okie dokie." They left the café in smiles and laughter. They were having such a good time that Matt had a hard time keeping back the urge to kiss her right then and there.


	7. VII

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 7: Could This Be True?**

****

The week passed by swiftly. Mimi had been cutting back her hours with Nina and Lana. She'd been too busy staying with Matt. They finished all of their Family Problems during Wednesday afternoon. They started at five and ended at ten. Mimi could say that for those few hours, she had been in total bliss. She felt like heaven. During the rare times when Matt would catch her staring at him, and he'd hold her gaze, all Mimi could feel was the whole world revolving around them. She was in cloud nine. To her dismay though, she never felt any eye-catching vibes from Matt. He seemed so cool, and so…. Handsome.

During Thursday, Mimi hang out with Matt's crew. She noticed that Michael was a tad bit annoying. He kept on winking and giving her these disgusting stares. As if trying to tell her 'I want you'. Bleck. Disgusting. On Friday, though, Mimi allowed Matt and his band members to practice at her house. That way she and Matt could settle some stuff about the Family thing without him missing band practice.

"Just one song, kay Mimi?" Matt told her. Mimi nodded and sat on one of the beanbags, preparing herself to what was about to come. The group had asked her to be the critique and she was willing to criticize them constructively and honestly. Matt started the guitars. He sang like as if he was in a different place. His voice was like an angels', so sweet and so charming.

_kowareru__ hodo aishitemo _

_sanbun__ no ichi mo tsutawaranai_

_junjou__ na kanjou wa karamawari _

_I love you sae ienaideiru my heart_

Then the drums and the organ started. Mimi could feel her hair rise, and a tingle raise through her spine.

_nagaku__ nemureani yoru ga kimi e to omoi_

_sore__ wa koi na n desu to sasayaku yo_

_tomedonaku__ katari nakeru yureru todou wa_

_binetsu__ majiri no tameiki e to kawaru_

Mimi could feel tears form in her eyes.

_give__ me smile and shine days _

_kimi__ no smile de_

_itetsuku__ yoru samusa no mo good koraerareru_

_kowareru__ hodo aishitemo _

_san__ bun no ichi mo tsutawaranai_

_junjou__ na kanjou wa karamawari _

_I love you sae ienaideiru my heart_

_mannatsu__ no ame no you ni _

_kawaita__ suhada uruosu kimi_

_no__ egao ga mabushikute_

_Give me a smile and shiny days, _

_kyuu__ ni sumasanaide_

_donna__ ni konnan de nankan na kabe mo koeru kara_

_dore__ dake kimi wo aishitara _

_kono__ omoi todoku no darou_

_mitsumerareru__ to ienai _

_kotoba__ ga chuu ni mau_

_hanarereba__ hanareru hodo _

_itoshii__ hito da to kizuku_

_motomereba__ motomeru hodo ni _

_setsunai__ kyori wo kanjiteru my heart_

Matt did a guitar solo. He looked so cool, he was one with the song and his guitar.

_Give me smile and shine days_

_Give me smile and nice days_

_moshi__ mo kono ude de dakishime-aeta __nara_

_dore__ dake kimi wo aishitara kono omoi todoku no darou_

_yume__ no naka de wa tashikani ieta hazu na noni_

_kowareru__ hodo aishetemo san bun no ichi mo tsutawaranai_

_junjou__ na kanjou wa karamawari _

_I love you sae ienaideiru My Heart _

Matt hit the high tones as he finished the song. Mimi stood up and clapped so vividly, with a large smile on her face. All five band members bowed. Mimi was so astounded that she wasn't able to restrain herself from running to Matt and from hugging him tightly. Matt blushed, and soon he was stammering. "I—I think we're through. Um, we—we just better go no." Mimi beamed and nodded. "Okay."

They packed their stuff and said goodbye. "Great cookies Mimi." Brian commented. She blushed. "Thanks." She said. Matt was the last one to leave the door. He looked at his four friends as they goofed off around the walkway. He sighed and faced Mimi. "So I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully. Mimi bit her lip. She nodded. Matt smiled. He gave Mimi a peck on the cheek and jogged off to the walkway, leaving a flushed Mimi behind.

As Matt made the turn towards his street Dom, Michael, Paul, and Brian grinned at him. He sighed. "You just had to eavesdrop." He said coolly. They shrugged. "We knew you wouldn't tell us anyway. So we figured we'd see it for ourselves" Paul told him. Matt nodded. "Whatever." He said flatly. Michael grinned and playfully punched Matt on the shoulder. "So, you finally got a girl, huh man?" he teased. Matt felt a blush creep through his cheeks. "Whatever ya say man." He said coolly. The four laughed and jogged ahead of him.

They chanted loudly 'Matty's in love!' Matt was sure Mimi could hear what they were saying so he ran after them, throwing hollow threats at them.

Saturday night. It was already ten in the evening when Matt picked Mimi up. He chuckled at the sight of her. She was wearing a long black skirt that reached her ankles and a white blouse she had a white bag too. She looked like she was going to church or something. "You do know we're going to a street race." Matt snorted. Mimi scowled at him. "Look, just take me to the nearest place where I can change. I had to wear this crap so that my parents would allow me." She explained bitterly. Matt chuckled and drove off to a snack bar.

He was leaning against the hood of his car, lighting a cigar when Mimi went out of the shop. His jaw fell to the ground. Mimi smiled. "So?" she asked as she turned around in front of him. The long skirt she wore earlier had this little zipper thing that when it was zipped out, she could take away half of it and had a mini skirt on instead. The white blouse was unbuttoned on the bottom, and she tied it on a knot. The center button was the only one buttoned. The upper ones were unbuttoned too, showing off most of her cleavage and her abs. She had light make-up on, and her hair was on a long ponytail.

Matt chuckled. "You look perfect." He commented. Mimi smiled. "Let's go then." She said before she hopped in the car. Matt still had his cigarette as he entered the car. Mimi scowled at him. He looked at her questioningly. Mimi sighed and took the cigarette from his mouth and threw it out the window. "Hey!" Matt exclaimed. "That was expensive!" Mimi smiled at him. "It always bothers me why people tend to buy expensive stuff that ruin their health." She said casually, looking straight ahead. Matt was on full scowl mode. "Whatever." He mumbled.

A while later, Mimi found herself on the outskirts of Los Angeles, the streetlights were on, but the street was completely deserted. Soon, four other racecars came out from different directions, following Matt. They drove all the way to an empty alley between two deserted buildings. Mimi's eyes grew wide at the sight of different cars and different races of people. The place was packed. Music was blaring from different types of stereos, women crowded over racers, while couples were making out in the open.

Mimi had never seen nor been in a place like this. As she stepped out of the car, she felt like her knees would give in. All eyes were on her. No one was talking. Every girl were glaring at her—including Sora. Matt stepped out of his car too and smiled at everyone around. 'Let's race!" he exclaimed. No one reacted. Everyone's attention was still on Mimi. Matt followed the gazes of all he boys and girls and smiled. "That's Mimi. My good luck charm." He announced sweetly. That caught everyone's attention. Now they were staring at him.

He chuckled. "Why don't we go on with the race?" he asked. Most of the men shrugged, others kept on looking at Mimi. The girls glared at her one last time before getting into their cars. Sora, on the other hand approached Mimi. She made a sniffing sound. "Smells like Class A." she commented flatly. "Hmm… Mimi Tachikawa. Honor Student, Cheerleader, Prom Queen… and every guy's dream girl." She announced, catching some of the racers' attention. "What brings you here?" she asked skeptically.

Mimi sighed and was about to talk back when Matt cut her. "Now, now, Sora. Don't spoil my date." He told her casually, as he hugged Mimi's slim waist. Sora scowled and went to her car. "Oh! Wait!" Matt called her. She turned, with a big smile plastered on her face. "I want my car by tonight." He said flatly before he let Mimi enter the car and drive of to Hawthorne Street.

The race went on smoothly, and as usual, Matt won. Sora didn't join this time, all she ever did the whole time was glare and stare at Mimi. Michael joined though, and was beaten by Matt. He was only a foot away from the finish line, but somehow, Matt made a fast dash and went right past him, proving that he was King of Street Racing. Matt took the cash he so easily won, and approached Mimi. Mimi clapped and hugged him, much to his surprise. "You were great." She whispered before she let go of him. Sora approached them and smiled at Matt, ignoring Mimi. "What about my date?" she asked him in full flirt mode. Matt chuckled. "Oh, yeah." He said. Sora beamed in great expectation.

"Yo, Dom. This redhead here needs a date. Maybe you could give her one." He offered. Dominic nodded, while Sora scowled and walked over to Dom. "Oh, and Sora! Where are the keys to my car?" he asked her. She scowled all the more and threw him a key chain. Matt caught it easily and handed it to Mimi who gave him a confused look. "You do know how to drive," he mentioned. Mimi nodded. "Yeah. Why?" she asked. Matt pointed to Sora's yellow Honda. "'Coz you're driving that tonight." Mimi's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked. Matt chuckled. Really." He said.

Just then a blare of sirens sliced through the air. Police cars started appearing everywhere. It came without warning. Matt pushed Mimi inside of Sora's car as he went to his car. He made a dash and signaled for Mimi to follow him. Mimi was right behind him when a police car started to chase her. Mimi gasped. "Get away from me," she said through gritted teeth as she made a suave turn to a corner. The chase went on for thirty minutes. Mimi and Matt went in separate directions, confusing the cop. The cop gave up and went back to his headquarters.

Mimi and Matt met up at a peak near the city. It was like a park that gave a great view of the city lights. Mimi parked the yellow Honda beside Matt's Civic and leaned on the hood. She noticed that Matt was looking at a distance, showing no expression. Mimi sighed and looked at the scenery before her. She sighed. It was such a romantic place, and somehow, being there with Matt made her feel very comfortable.

"Great night, huh?" Matt said, breaking the silence between them. Mimi smiled. "You can say that again." She said. They laughed for a bit and then silence once again fell over them. Mimi stared at the ground. "Thank You." She whispered. Matt turned his attention to her and approached her. He sat beside Mimi on top if the car's hood and looked at the sky. "For what?" he asked finally. Mimi shrugged. "For taking me here. I've never had so much fun with a guy before." She admitted. Matt smiled.

He looked at her for a moment and sighed. "Why don't we get together again sometime?" he offered. Mimi could feel her heart skip a beat. "What, to another street race?" she asked mockingly; although deep inside she was hoping she wasn't right. Matt chuckled. "No. Maybe to a movie or something." He said, as he stared at the city lights. Mimi looked at him smiling. "You mean like a date?" she asked, a hint of happiness in her voice. Matt smiled. "Sorta." He said, his eyes not leaving the city lights.

Mimi sighed. "I don't know…" she said sheepishly. Matt finally looked at her. "Why?" he asked. Mimi sighed. It was her turn to stare at the lights. "'Coz you might fall in love with me." She said with a smile. Matt chuckled. Mimi sighed again and looked at the sky. "And I might fall in love with you." She said quietly. Matt looked at her curiously yet in a serious manner. "Is that a problem?" he asked, hope rising through his soul. Mimi faced him, and looked deep into his eyes. "Isn't it?" she asked.

Mimi faced the city lights again, and so did Matt. Not a word came out from them. At that moment, all they could do was sit there and enjoy the fact of being together. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes. Then finally, Matt broke the silence. "I think I should be taking you home now. Your parents might be looking for you." He said casually. Mimi nodded and stood up. "Yeah." She agreed. Although deep inside her she knew they wouldn't mind if she were home late. Deep inside her too, crept a feeling she never expected she'd feel towards Matt. A feeling she'd been avoiding since grade school. And now, suddenly, that feeling found it's way back to her heart.

**A/N: Song is from RK, ½.**


	8. VIII

**Right Kind of Guy**

**Chapter 7: Could This Be True?**

****

That night, Mimi never got to sleep. Ever since their five-minute goodbye where Matt stared deeply into her eyes and sent quivers down her spine, all she's ever thought of was him. What on earth was happening to her? It was as if they were both having a difficult time stopping themselves from glomping into each other and kiss the night away. Mimi even found herself struggling to say goodbye because she knew deep inside that the night was too good to end so soon. She knew that with Matt, she was complete, happy and free. Several times during the night, she found her mind full of Matt, Matt, and Matt. His cool blue eyes that lured her into heaven; his pink kissable lips that she wanted so much to—okay, stop. Getting to that part meant trouble; that's crossing the line.

Why can't she stop thinking of him? What was wrong with her? Could it be that—? No. Absolutely not. She couldn't possibly fall for Matt Ishida, now could she? That would be breaking the rules! She swore years ago never to fall for guys like—him. Mimi shook her head, trying to get the thought of falling for Matt Ishida out of her mind. But somehow his pretty face and sweet voice would always creep their way into her thoughts. She sighed for the nth time as she lay there on her bed, gazing at the glow in the dark stars plastered on her ceiling. Matt and everything about him was keeping her up all night. She turned over to her left and forced her eyes to close. A second passed and her eyes sprang open. She still couldn't sleep. Matt was haunting her!

She sat up on her bed and looked around her room. Moonlight streaked through her window and onto her mini living room. She smiled at the beanbags scattered on the floor. They brought her happy and fun memories of Lana, Nina and—Matt. Ugh. She's had enough of all this Matt stuff. She shook her head hard and got out of her bed. She went all the way down to the second floor veranda and breathed in the nightly air. It was past midnight and dawn was just around the corner. Mimi looked around the lawn and smiled as she saw the patch of daisies through the darkness of midnight. She sighed sweetly and ran her fingers through a loose strand of her chocolate brown hair. She lowered her gaze to the front door and gave out a small gasp.

She was sure she saw a silhouette of a man. She forced her eyes to look more closely until they formed into thin slits. Through the darkness all she can see was something on the front porch. She suck in her breath as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. Could that be a bomb? A tracking device? Could it be that her parents are kidnapped? Maybe that's the ransom inside. Part of her wanted to leave the package there and open it in the morning. Another part of her, which was her curious and forceful side, told her to go down and open the package. She debated for a split second with herself and finally made a decision. She had to find out whatever was inside that package—now.

She sucked in her breath as she silently went down to the kitchen. If she was going out there, she had to be prepared for anything. She dug through the kitchen cabinet and got out a flashlight. She tiptoed to the stockroom and took the shovel. It was the only heavy thing she could make out through the dark. Carefully she walked towards the front door, her breath steady and her hands shaking. She didn't even feel the weight of the shovel because all she could think of was the package. Everything around her was silent, except for her heart beat. It was beating five times faster and louder. It was very loud that it throbbed all the way to her ears. She held her right arm over her chest, trying to cover the deafening sound. She had to make it stop for she feared that the person outside might hear her approach.

Slowly, she reached for the doorknob, and creaked the door open. She peeked through the little opening she made. It was so little that only her right eye could see through. She popped her eye out widely and drifted her sight through the lawn eerily, ready to scream and run at any sight of a burglar, murderer, or thief. Finally, her eye landed on the tiny package that lay on her 'welcome' door carpet. She couldn't see much of it through the darkness of the night. The only thing she could see was its shadow that the moonlight gave out. It was of a square shape. Mimi focused her attention on the object. She forced her keen sight to make it out but it was of no avail. Just then a dog from afar gave out a loud howl that caused Mimi to shriek and bang the door.

She panted as she leaned on the door, clutching her chest and taking deep breaths. She calmed herself and talked herself into finding some courage. If she wanted to know what was in that box, she better be brave. After chanting her courage back she slowly opened the door. She looked around the front lawn fast and dashed towards the box; grabbed it and without any hesitation she hurriedly went inside the house, locking the door behind her.

She stared at the package she held. It didn't look anything like a ransom or bomb. In fact, it looked more like a gift. It was wrapped in a pink wrapper with a light blue ribbon tied around it. Mimi carefully turned the package around as she walked towards the living room sofa. She stopped abruptly as she made a last turn with the box. Plastered on that side was a piece of paper with her name printed in bold letters on it. She careful untied the ribbon and tore the wrapper. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself for whatever was in it. Somehow, she felt excited and at the same time she felt nervous and curious.

She jingled the box slightly and pressed it to her ear. She didn't hear any tick tock that would've come from a bomb; and it was light. She looked at it one last time and placed it on her lap as she sat. She carefully opened the box with her eyes closed. She felt through the package and when she guessed it was open she slowly opened her eyes. She let out her breath; she just noticed that all the while she had been holding her breath. She laughed in relief as she looked at the thing inside the parcel.

Inside was a cute miniature stuffed toy of Winnie The Pooh holding a fluffy heart with the words 'I think you're special' printed on it. Mimi beamed. Whoever sent her this deserved one big hug from her. She picked the toy and admired it. She smiled all the more as she hugged it. She remembered seeing the exact type of doll down at the Mall a week ago. She was debating with Lana and Nina if she'd take it or not. Nina, obviously, didn't want her to buy it. She said that clothes were more important than dolls. Mimi sighed. Whoever sent her this knew she liked it. She raised her eyebrows in question. Who else, aside from her friends knew she liked Pooh?

She tried to recall some of the people she talked to. Tai was one, but it couldn't be him because she never opened up to him how much she adored Pooh. It couldn't be Matt either. All they ever talk about is school, English, street racing, her friends, their personalities… it couldn't be him. Mimi sighed. Who else could know? She looked at the box and smiled. There was a card-like object in the bottom of the box. She picked it up and opened the card. It had a message written on it. Carefully she read the note:

Hope you like **M**y ordinary gift for an

Extraord**I**nary you.

sleep tight. Think of **M**e

Ton**I**ght.

Mimi frowned. She sure was going to think of him or her tonight. She'd be more awake now because of this mysterious package. As if Matt wasn't a sleeping problem. Now, she has two people to think about tonight, Matt and this Mysterious person. Will she ever get some sleep? Mimi placed the paper back on the box and brought it up to her room. She dropped the box to the floor and hugged the doll. She slipped into her bed and tucked herself in, including Pooh. She hugged the doll tighter and thought about the happenings of the night. She smiled as thoughts of Matt came rushing to her mind again. She didn't quite care about it now though. She welcomed Matt and his clear smile into her thoughts. She was so caught up on him that she forgot about the mysterious person. She leaned her cheek onto the doll's cheek and smelled its scent. It smelled like Matt's perfume. She felt her eyelids give way to sleep. The last thought that came to her mind was of Matt kissing her goodnight. Then she dozed off.

Mimi completely forgot about the note the next morning because her mother gave her the best news ever. There was a one-day sale at the Mall! She quickly called her friends, took a fast shower, and dashed out the door. If Matt didn't take Sora's car last night, she was sure to have some use of it today. She didn't have her car since her mom borrowed it. Her dad had the van and was fishing miles away. Mimi pouted. She was stuck with walking then. Mimi pouted all the more. She didn't want to break a sweat or ruin her shoes. She sighed. Nina couldn't get her, and neither can't Lana. Well, she had no other choice.

Mimi was preparing herself for the torturous walk when a car honked from behind her. She turned around expectantly, hoping it was her mom. She grinned as she saw the shiny BMW in front of her. It wasn't her mom, but it was someone better than her mom. It was Tai. "Hey!" he called out, his grin so sweet and charming, Mimi walked over to him. "Hey," she greeted when she was near his car. "I saw you standing there with a frown. Just wondering if I could help?" he asked, with a teasing smile that made Mimi's grin grow wider. "I just need a lift." She explained casually. Amazing how she could keep her cool even when she was asking her all-time crush for a ride.

Tai smiled. "I can bring you to the mall." He offered. Mimi looked at him curiously. "How'd you know I was going there?" she asked. Tai shrugged. "Just a guess. Every girl around here is practically flying their way there." He told her; his teasing smile plastered on his face again. Mimi giggled and bit her lip. She was in full flirt mode. Tai grinned. "So, hop in and I'll gladly bring you there." He said. Mimi nodded and got in. Her heart was racing and her pulse was fast. Talking to Tai was one thing, but being with him inside the car—alone, was something else. She fidgeted with her bracelet and thought of something to talk about. The car engine, the radio, and their silence made her uncomfortable.

Tai broke the silence. "So… did you ever think about my dinner invitation?" he asked her as he stopped the car in front of a stoplight. "Uh… the date?" Mimi asked nervously. Tai nodded. "Uh-huh, the date." He said casually. Mimi looked out of the car window and stared at the trees. As the car started moving, and the trees made her dizzy, she focused her attention to the skirt she was wearing. What was she supposed to say? She never thought about it—yet. Ever since Matt got into the picture, she's forgotten about it. She sighed deeply. Matt has mad a lot of changes in her life. Not to mention her feelings. From acquaintance, their 'relationship' turned a higher notch. Mimi's suspecting that she's—"Mimi," Tai's voice broke her trail of thoughts. "Huh?" she asked, distracted.

Tai smiled at her politely. It was clear that Mimi's silence disturbed him. "We're here." He said. Mimi smiled shyly, she could feel a blush creep up her cheeks. "Sorry." She said and got out of the car. "Thanks." She blurted out once she was out of the car. She turned her heels and walked off towards the mall. She had only covered a couple of feet when Tai called her name. She turned around to face him. He was already out of the car and he was leaning on the car hood. "Hmm?" Mimi asked. Tai shifted his position nervously and started tapping his fingers on the metal. "I was thinking…" he started. "Why don't we go out tonight? I mean, you've ditched me once, so I thought maybe you'd give me another chance…" he said nervously and looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Mimi grinned. "Sure. But it'll have to be around nine. I still have a mall to raid." She said, beaming at him. Tai returned her smile thrice the watt. "Great." He said and hopped into his car all smiles. "See you then!" he called out as he drove away. Mimi stood there for a while, grinning. Everything around her seemed to disappear—even Matt. All that was in her mind was Tai's irresistible smile and their date tonight. Somehow, she felt like even shopping wouldn't match the happiness in her right now.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop that!" exclaimed an angry voice. It echoed around the long walls of the dark and misty warehouse. Boxes were scattered everywhere. Pipes came in and out from the walls and the roof. Right behind a pile of boxes labeled 'fragile' was a small table with a little head light hanging from the roof down towards it. Five men in dark suites sat around the table. All of them had masks on that only showed their eyes. Four of the men had the lower parts of their masks folded up to their noses, revealing their mouths. One of the men was sticking an injection into another man's arm. The others seemed to be smoking something from a pot. The man who owned the angry voice was standing them with his arms crossed. "Look, if you don't want any, just go and leave." Said the man with the needle. "Fine." Exclaimed the angry voice and left the place fast. The four guys snickered. "Screw him." Said one, and carried on to what he was smoking.

Meanwhile, the angry guy who just left walked through an empty alley beside the warehouse, mumbling to himself. He walked towards a garbage can, took off his mask and threw it. "Let them do the dirty work. It's not my fault if they get busted." He mumbled and kicked a can on the ground. He cursed under his breath and walked away. Way back in the alley, behind a ruined delivery truck, stood a brown-haired guy with a camera. His hair stuck out into different places as he snapped away. He took out a mobile phone and dialed a number. "It's me. Yeah, I'm finished. Hurry up and get me out of here!" He spoke casually and turned off the phone when he was through talking. He sneered as he stared at the place where the man once was. "I got you now, Ishida," he mumbled evilly before slipping away into the darkness.

**A/N: Review Please! Updates soon to come! **


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